No-draft mat and process of making same



Oct- 27, 1925- I 1,558,760

E. E. RICHARDSON N0 DRAFT MAT AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Original Filed April 21. 1924 (slant/(d (QM id BY Patented Oct. 27, 1925 he ,re

" UNITED STATES PATENT curios.

' EDWARD EDWARD RICHARDSON, 0F MAU'MEE, O'I-IIO, ASSIGNOR OF FIFTY-ONE 0NE- HUNDRED'I'HS TO F. O. RICHEY, OF ELYRIA, OHIO.

ITO-DRAFT MAT AND PRUCESS OF MAKING- SAME.

Application filed April- 21, 1924, Serial No. 707,934. Renewed April 11, 1925.

Too whom it may concern.- I Be it' known that I, EDWARD EDWARD RICHARDSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'Maumee, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in No-Draft Mats and Processes of Making Same, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for preventing the passage of drafts of air, dust, dirt and the like, while at the same time permitting the movement of the pedal shaft or the like in a slot. In many types of automobiles, notably theFord automobile, there is a largeslot through which the shaft of a pe a1 or brake lever reciprocates. This slot is made wide so as to permit free move ment of these pedals. It results that cold air, dust, dirt and the like pass through the slot into the interior of the automobile.

One of the objects of my invention is to prevent or reduce to insignificance the like superposed and secured together by amount of air or other gas, dust, dirt, etc.

which passes through these slots, while atthe same time permitting an unobstructed passage of the shaft.

Another object of my invention is to improve the methods of manufacturing devices for accomplishing the first named purpose.

Another object is to reduce the cost and trouble and to expedite the manufacture of a device capable of performing the first named purpose.

' Other'objects of my invention and the invention itself will be better understood from the description of an embodiment of the invention. ln Fig. 1 I have shown a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention.

.In Fig. 2 I have also shown a perspective view of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 'l with a pedal and pedal shaft in place.

111 Fig. 3 I have shown a section of the embodiment of Fig. 1 along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4. and 5 are details and Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the other views folded up.

, Referring now to the drawing and to the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein, I have shown at 1 and 2 a pair of sheets or slabs of rubber material orthe some suitable means, such as staples 3. In

Fig. l a row of staples a is employed near the margin and a second row 5 near the central part of the sheets. Tongues or flanges 7 and 8 are formed 11 each of the sheets, preferably by-slitting the same along the three sides of a rectangle. The sheets are so assembled that the tongues are oppositely directed and when in use bent up, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8.

It will be noticed also that, although the cutting of the sheetsis similar in the case of the two sheets, one of the sheets has its longitudinally extending out towards one side of the sheet, and the other its longitudinally extending cut, toward the opposite'side of the sheet. In this way, when the two sheets are superposed, as illustrated perhaps best in Fig. 3, the two tongues? and 8 may be bent upwardly, the tongue 7 projecting upwardly through the opening 9 left in the sheet 2' by the lifting of the tongue 8 thereof. Vhcn the two sheets of rubber 1 and 2 are riveted. together, bythe staples 4, the two tongues 7 and 8, elevated as'shown, will be pressed against each other by the inherent resiliency of the rubber material. of the tongues tending to regain their normal unstressed form, or return to the sheets or slabs l and 2.

In the preferred form of my invention, 1 secure to 'the underface of each of the flanges, by staples or other suitable means, some fibrous material which will effectively liar the passage of gas, dust, etc. while permitting the free movement of the lever. Strips of sheeps hide with the wool still on the same are, as far as I am aware, most effective. The woolly surfaces of the hide should face each other when the flanges are in the position shown in Figs.

1, 2 and 3. v

One of the advantages of the invention of this application is the collapsibility of the mat, .so that it may be easily packed and transported. It will be readily understood that theslabs. may be cut from a sheet-of metal and slitted to form the flanges at the same time. The fibrous material may then be attached to the under side of the flanges and the two slabs fastened together. Owing to the tendency of the flanges to return to the normal position, the gap or slot is main tained closed all about t e shaft, so that planes of the I though the shaft moves readily in the slot there is the passage of little, if any, gas or dirt through the slot.

I have illustrated and described a single embodiment of my invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that departures may be made from this embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a mat for an' automobile foot board, a combinationof a pair of slabs or sheets of rubber or the like, each. formed so as to have oppositely extending tongues therein,

means to connect the slabs together with the tongues superposed but pointing in opposite directions, said tongues adapted to be deflected from the slabs or sheets to project from the same side of the mat and when released deflectedtowards each other in an effect to regain their natural unstressed position, and each being prevented from returning to normal by the other tongue.

2. In a draft preventing mat, a combination of a base consisting of a pair of sheets or slabs of rubber or the like, a flange formed in each sheet, said slabs being superposed and connected together with the flanges superposed but pointing in opposite directions, each flange adapted to be deflected from normal position towards the same side of the mat and released and when released being restrained from returning to normal by the other flange, and fibrous material attached to the adjacent surfaces of each of the flanges.

3. In a draft preventing mat, a combination of a pai of sheets or slabs of rubber or the like, flanges formed in each slab, the slabs being superposed and connected together with the flanges superposed but pointing in opposite directions, said flang 5 adapted to be deflected from normal, eac in the same direction out of the planes of the slabs and each prevented from returning to normal when so deflected by the other flange and strips of sheeps hide with the wool thereon connected to the adjacent surfaces of the flanges.

4. A mat for an automobile foot board comprising a pair of rubber sheets, each of the sheets being cut so as to form oppositely extending tongues therein, securing means to secure the base portions of the sheets together, said tongues being bent from the base portions to project from the same side of the mat and to press towards each other in the cfl'cct to regain their natural unstressed form, each being therefrom prevented by the interposed end of the other tongue.

5. An automobile weather guard lnat comprising a pair of sheets of rubber or like inherently resilient. material, each of said sheets being out along a line defining approximately and substantially the form of three sides of a rectangle to form transrersely extending tongues for the sheets, said tongues being upwardly deflexible against the inherent resiliency of the mate rials, a strip of packing material on the lower face of each tongue, said tongues being bent upwardly, the tongue of the lowermost sheet projecting through the opening left by the lifted tongue of the upper sheet and pressing at its end portion against the said upper sheet lifted tongue.

6. An automobile weather guard mat comprising a pair of sheets of rubber or like inherently resilient material, each of said sheets being cut along a line defining approximately and substantially the form of three sides of a rectangle to form transversely extending tongues for the sheets,

said tongues being upwardly deflexible against the inherent resiliency of the material, a strip of packing material on the lower face of each tongue, said tongues being bent upwardly, thetongue of the lowermost sheet projecting through the opening left by the lifted tongue of the upper sheet and pressing at its end portion against the said upper sheet lifted tongue, said weather guard being adapted to receive an automobile controlling lever projected between the tongues, said packing material being pressed by the tongues against such lever.

7. An automobile weather guard mat co1nprising a pair of sheets of rubber or like inherently resilient material, each of said sheets being cut along a line defining ap proximately and substantially the form of three sides of a rectangle to form transversely extending tongues for the sheets, said tongues being upwardly deflexible against the inherent resiliency of the material, said tongues being bent upwardly, the tongue of the lowermost sheet projecting through the opening left by the lifted tongue of the upper sheet and pressing at its end portion against the said upper sheet lifted tongue, said weather guard being adapted to receive an automobile controlling lever projected between the tongues.

8. A mat for an automobile foot board provided with substantially parallel flanges projecting upwardly from the surface of the mat, said flanges being tensioned towards each other, a slot in the mat between said flanges, wherein a reciprocating automobile controlling foot pedal member, or the like, may project through said mat and be reciprocated in said slot, strips of sheeps hide with the wool thereon on the inner sides of said flanges and parallel rows of staples, or the like, connecting each of said strips to one of said flanges, said shccps wool being adapted to close the opening over said slot and around said pedal member.

S). In a device of the class described, the

r to

mse teo combination of a base having sslot therein, through which the pedal or lever shaft of an automobile, or the like, may be recipro cated, a pair of parallel flanges on said base, one on either side of said slot, the flanges being tensioned towards each other, strips of sheeps hide with the wool thereon, seq cured one strip to the inner side of each of i said flanges and terminating at or below the free ed es of the flanges, the inward tension of the anges causing the wool on the hide to engage and to close the slot about the pedal shsit against the passage of gas, dust and the like. v

10. In e device of the class described, the wcombination of a.- bsse having s slot therein through which the shaft of an automobile pedal or lever may reciprocate, substantially parallel flanges projecting upwardly from said base and tensioned towards each other, one flange being on each side cit said slot, fibrous material mounted on the inner sides of said flanges extending along the inner side of said flanges and terminating at or within the ends of the flanges, si-iid flanges being so tensioned as to cause fibrous materisl on the opposite flanges to engage, secling the slotabout the pedal shaft and else- Whereagainst the passage of'gas, dust end the like. t

11. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a base having a slot there' in, through which an automobile lever shaft, or the like, may be reciprocsted's pair of fiangesion said base, one along each edge of the slot, projecting upwardly from the base and normally tensionecl towards each other, fibrous material mounted on the inner side of said flanges, said flanges causing sections of the fibrous material to engage each other and engaging at the peak of the flanges, thereby closing the slot about thepedal shaft and elsewhere against the passage of gas, dust and the like.

In. testimony whereof I hereunto sfix my signature this 16 day of April, 1924. r

' EDWARD EDWARB RlCllARDSON. 

